


Reversed Roles

by pietrostits



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Cute, Fluff, M/M, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-20 17:54:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30008706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pietrostits/pseuds/pietrostits
Summary: Bucky Barnes rarely gets sick but somehow he's ended up with a brutal flu. Steve takes this opportunity to take care of Bucky and they reminisce a few of the times when the roles were reversed
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Kudos: 5





	Reversed Roles

Bucky doesn't get sick. Well he does, but he never really lets it show, in his 100 years of life he has never really gotten badly ill. There's always a first for things though and this seems to be the time when the flu managed to knock Bucky Barnes down.

He is currently in Steve's bed at the tower, hot and sweaty, his every muscle aching and his head pounding. The only part of him that isn't aching is his left arm, which brought him some form of comfort even if it was just because it's metal. Steve opens the door slightly and slips in without letting in too much light "hey Buck, I know you said you didn't want me to look after you but I got you some water, toast and painkillers" he speaks quietly, putting everything down on his bedside table and sitting down beside Bucky. 

Bucky is very grateful for Steve but he also doesn't want to get him sick, he remembers how sick Steve used to get and he would hate to see that again. "No Stevie, you can't be here, you're gonna get sick and then I can't look after you if I'm not back to normal yet" he groans, his voice strained and throat dry. Steve shakes his head and brings the cup to Bucky's lips, encouraging him to drink, which he happily does. "I don't get sick as much anymore Buck, I get sick like once a year and it doesn't affect me as bad as it used to" Steve tells Bucky to reassure him that it's okay for Steve to be there with him. 

Bucky seems to half process what Steve had just said but accepts it nonetheless laying his head back down on his pillow once he is done with the water. Steve smiles softly down at him "I'm gonna open the window a little, it's smelly and stuffy in here love" he says and moves out of bed and to open a window, letting in fresh air into the room. Once he had opened the window, Steve returns to the bed to get in beside Bucky. 

"Hey darling, do you think you can eat some toast?" Steve asks him and Bucky turns to look at Steve and nods "I can try, no promises though" he replies and Steve smiles remembering all the times he had said something similar to Bucky back in the 1940s. Bucky sits up against the headboard and groans at the strain on his aching body. Steve watches him and helps him to adjust himself comfortably before passing him the plate of toast. 

Steve watches Bucky move lethargically and his body lean slightly sideways as he tries to support himself bit his body lacks the strength to do so. Steve takes pity on him and moves him slightly so instead of leaning on the headboard Bucky is now leaning against his chest. "Do you remember the winter of 38? I got a nasty round of pneumonia, you took care of me and I'm pretty much convinced you're the only reason I made it past that winter" Steve tells him and Bucky smiles sadly at the memory. 

"That wasn't the only year I looked after you punk" he tells him "I looked after you every winter almost, you were just a scrawny asthmatic boy who couldn't keep himself out of trouble if the world depended on it" Bucky tells him. Steve nods "yeah I know but I had you to look after me, you took great care of me" Steve tells him, thinking back on all the times Bucky would get into bed with him on cold winter nights. Bucky had always been warmer than Steve, he would hold the scrawny boy all night, acting like a human heater but they would never have admitted it back then. They weren't allowed to.

Steve relishes in it now, he loves having a hand on Bucky, but Bucky is worse, he takes any opportunity he had to be affectionate with Steve so it's not a shock to anyone in the tower if they spot Bucky and Steve being very affectionate. Bucky feels Steve move his sweaty hair out of his face and smiles "thank you babe" he tells him and Steve presses a soft kiss to his forehead before taking the hair tie off his wrist and tying Bucky's hair back in a small bun. Steve had started to carry around a hair tie on his wrist at all times because Bucky sometimes forgets his own one and his hair can bother him if it falls in his face too much. 

Steve feels his forehead burning up and reaches over to his nightstand to get the pills he had brought him "Bucky, can you take these please? They'll help a bit with the pain." he explains and Bucky nods taking the pills with some water to help them down.

Bucky is about to lay his cheek against Steve’s chest when he shakes his head “no no darling, let me go get you a cool rag” he tells him and Bucky just nods a little, not having the energy to do much more. Steve comes back from the bathroom a minute later with a small bowl of cold water and a wet rag. 

Bucky stays close to Steve and lays his head against his chest despite the warm temperature of his own body. Steve just smiles sadly because he loves it when Bucky is cuddly and affectionate but he hates to see him be so sick and hot. 

Steve gently presses the rag against Bucky’s forehead, which causes him to wince and slightly pull back from the cold. Once his body gets used to the feeling he leans into it, enjoying the cool feeling. 

That’s how they spend the rest of the morning, Steve dipping the rag into the bowl often as Bucky’s temperature warms it up relatively quickly. After about 30 minutes of that Steve notices Bucky’s breaths evening out. He moves himself so he’s laying down and he runs his fingers through Bucky’s hair thinking back fondly of all the times the roles had been reversed.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you guys enjoyed the lil chapter i wrote. if you have any head cannon ideas you’d like me to write up i’d be glad to


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